Google is facing another antitrust probe by US regulators into whether the firm is using its Google is facing another antitrust probe by US regulators into whether the firm is using its position as the world's number one web organisation to hold back the competition.
The investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is already reportedly in its early stages and is examining if Google has used its dominant position in display advertising to pressure companies into using some of its other services. Such practice can be illegal under US antitrust laws.
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At the beginning of the year, a 20-month long investigation by the FTC concluded that Google needed to make changes to its business practices, especially with regards to advertising and search. Google said it would voluntary change its online search-advertising platform, thus avoiding a lawsuit, but the new probe suggests there are still concerns about how Google operates.
The firm has also faced investigations within Europe, with EU competition regulators spending two and a half years investigating whether Google searches prioritise Google-owned websites, such as YouTube, giving the organisation an unfair advantage over its rivals.
Google has offered concessions to the European Union, but according to EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia, any decision made about Google's practices will be considered legally binding.
Last week, Canada's Competition Bureau also announced that it was to launch an investigation into Google's search practices.
